An Answer to a Great Number of Blasphemous Cavillations

Because the hole controversy standeth in this whether God hath chose any to lief everlasting before the beginning of all times leaving others in their just perdition, or not, my purpose is first by plane scriptures to prove the affirmative, and after in weighing the same and other scriptures, that by Gods grace shall be adduced, so plainly as I can to show unto you, what horrible absurdity, inevitably followeth upon your error in which ye affirm, that God hath chosen no man more one then an other▪ that either your blindness removed, ye may turn with all humility to the eternal son of the eternal God, against whom you arm your selves, or else that your damnation may be the more so dayne and just, for your refusal of the plain light offered. That God hath chosen before the foundation of the world, witnesseth the Apostle, saying: Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,¹ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly things by Christ as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be holy and without blame before him by love. Here the Apostle in express words affirmeth that God hath chosen a certain number, (for he speaketh not to the hole world,) as you either ignorantly or else maliciously do after allege, but to his beloved congregation of Ephesus who with all obedience had received the word of lief offered, and with great patience had continued in the same even after the departure of their Apostle from them yea after his bonds and imprisonment. Such I say doeth the Apostle affirm that God hath chosen, and that before the foundations ⟨p. 29⟩of the world were laid: So that we have Gods election before all beginning plainly proved. Here might I bring forth many places but I having respect to brevity stand content with this one place. That this he hath done once in his eternal and immutable counsel without respect to be had to our merits or works (which you allege to be causes of Gods election) witnesseth the same Apostle proceeding as followeth: who haeth predestinate us, that he should adoptat us in children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will that the glory of his grace by the which he hath made us dear, by that beloved may be praised.

Becaus the hole cōtrouersie standeth in this whether God hath chose any to lief euerlastīg before the begīnīg of al tymes leuīg others in their iust perditiō, or not, my purpose is first by plane scriptures to proue the affirmatiue, and after in weying the same ād other scriptures, that by Gods grace shalbe adduced, so planely as I cā to shew vnto you, what horrible absurditie, ineuitably foloweth vpon your error in which ye affirme, that God hath chosen no man more one then an other that either your blindnes remoued, ye may turne with all humilitie to the eternall sōne of the eternall God, against whom you arm your selues, orels that your damnation may be the more so dayne and iust, for your refusall of the plaine light offered. That God hath chosen before the foundation of the world, witnesseth the Apostle, saing: Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christe,